Liam Payne Tells Fans ‘It’s Ok to be Sad and Upset’

While the remaining four members of One Direction broke their silence about Zayn's sudden departure from the band, none of the members actually referred to him in their tweets -- until now. Liam Payne posted a heartfelt message to fans on Twitter today (March 26), specifically reacting to and mentioning Zayn in his post. You can read the full message below.

In light of recent events I think this is important to say.
For the past five years now I've been part of something so special I don't think any of us really understand, something that can mean the world to people and put a smile on the face of our fans even in the darkest times. To a lot of people it's just a bunch of silly kids in a band but to the people involved it means so much more. This last week has been some of the worst times, possibly the worst it's something we are all deeply saddened by. It's sad to think for the time being we won't grace the stage as five bros or have the same fun on a tour bus or laughs in a hotel together that we have over the years but I'm super sure us and zayn will always remain the closest friends. I guess what I'm really trying to say is it's far from over. When we very 1st became successful we all agreed that one direction had become much bigger than each individual member that's why I feel like right now it's ok to be sad and upset but I do ask everyone who is a fan of us to please keep ur faith in us I'm sure there's a lot more to come all love
Liam

Fans undoubtedly appreciate Liam's honesty and candor as they had #LIAMWELOVEYOUALLSOMUCH trending on Twitter within minutes. As much as we appreciate the rest of the band putting on a brave face and looking ahead to One Direction's future, the emotion in Liam's note feels a little more personal -- especially when he talks about how much he'll miss the five-piece unit they became over the years. Because same.